In the professional and surgical field of implant dentistry there are many surgical and anatomical barriers. In the maxillary arch when teeth are missing. Often there is deficient bone quantity to totally cover or stabilize dental implants. The dental implants cannot be placed unless more advanced regenerative bone grafting surgeries are initiated. In all of the surgeries the sinus membrane must be lifted in order to place the bone grafting material. My invention of the sponge aided lifting technique is a simpler and less traumatic technique, of performing the surgery. Unlike the classical technique, it does not involve a complicated and sophisticated use of many multi-curved curette knives; with the ever looming fear of cutting, or penetration of the membrane. It also is not a blind technique utilizing balloons or water pressure in an unknown and unseen environment with possible unknown tears to the membrane. It is a simpler, easier and more control technique, both for the novice and for the experienced surgeon. Because the sponges are so soft, they slowly lift the membrane without trauma. The need for a larger surgical opening to the sinus is eliminated because a much smaller opening is all that is necessary to use a sponge technique. The patient suffers less trauma and morbidity. The sponge technique can be used with any amount of remaining bone from the smallest 1 mm or less, to the larger six or 7 mm thick boney floors. There are no limitations as there is with other specialized sinus techniques used. Once learned about the degree of ease and safety, the sponge aided technique will replace how sinus surgery is a preform around the world. The safety and simplicity of the sponge aided technique will become an intrinsic safety tool for every worldwide surgeon's surgical sinus technique.
Synthetic sponge cubes, or truncated rectangles, cylinders or cones sponge shapes, made of medical grade dense polyurethane foam material that are used to gently and safely lift up the surgically exposed Schneiderian membrane off of the sinus floor and walls without the use of sharpen sinus curette knifes. Sponges allow and give total operator controlled gentle membrane lifting force motion. The membrane is lifted softly and atraumatically with visualization. These soft polyurethane foam sponges will continue to rebound and expand when they are first placed in compressed state. When you softly wiggle more than one into the contained space of the sinus they will continue to softly enlarge the space in mass by lifting the membrane off of the bony floor and wall without surgical trauma. The soft sponge will safely negotiate bony projections and any other types of obstacles. This is because the sponges easily conform to the shape of the sinus bony contours while it lifts the membrane off the sinus floor and walls. Another surgical bonus is because this sponges do the work the surgeon does not have to create a larger surgical opening in this sinus to physically manipulate the typical specialized large array of surgical sinus knives. Just like the wire twisted compression springs that are used in orthodontics, the size of the cubes and cones act as soft sponge “springs” to help gently lift the sinus membrane off of the sinus bony with floor and walls. When compressed to one half their normal size, each sponge will create a force of expansion or rebound of 40 up to 65 g. This force will softly with decreasing force as they fully expand lift the membrane off of the sinus bone. Everything is under the surgeon's complete visual and tactile control unlike other blind crestal approach techniques.